Entertainment park with integrated storyline

ABSTRACT

An entertainment park, having a plurality of sectors of activity, with at least one attraction in each sector of activity incorporating thematic elements representing an aspect of a single story having continuity throughout the park. In conjunction with the attraction, park visitors act-out, in a fantasy setting, a portion of the storyline. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the attractions are based upon an adversarial theme of good vs. evil, which is acted out by park visitors in a realistic setting.

[0001] The present application claims priority from U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application Serial No. 06/352,079, filed on Jan. 24, 2002.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates generally to participatoryentertainment areas such as theme parks and amusement parks. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to an entertainment parkwherein a single storyline is integrated into the park attractions, andpark visitors become participants in acting-out portions of the story.

[0004] 2. Related Art

[0005] There are currently two prevalent types of entertainment parks.The first is the “amusement park”, where a random collection ofattractions are placed in a more or less landscaped setting, generallywithout any real theme or connection, one to another. The second type isthe “theme park”, where sections of the park are themed, but thedifferent sections have no necessary thematic connection or relationshipwith the others.

[0006] Theme parks and amusement parks trace their origins totraditional garden parks of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.Once limited to the very wealthy, in the late eighteenth and earlynineteenth centuries, beautiful manicured gardens and parks began to becreated and opened for the benefit of the general public. Some of thesewere privately owned, while others were created at public expense, suchas New York's Central Park. These parks, with trees, gardens, ponds, anda generally peaceful atmosphere, became especially popular among citydwellers, whose population increased dramatically with the industrialrevolution of the nineteenth century.

[0007] For the benefit of visitors, and as a means of generatingrevenue, park owners and others began adding various services andattractions, such as vendors of food, flowers, novelties, etc.Gradually, other more elaborate attractions were also added, such asgames, and carnival-type rides, including carousels, and, eventually,roller coasters. By the early to mid-twentieth century, amusement parksbegan to shed their connection to traditional garden parks, and appearedas entertainment entities by themselves, incorporating elaborate andexciting rides and attractions.

[0008] A major milestone in this evolution was Walt Disney's creation ofDisneyland in the 1950's. Disneyland was more than an amusement park. Itwas a theme park where the respective amusements and attractions relatedto multiple themes. In the case of Disneyland, most of the themesrelated to various Disney productions. Theme parks and amusement parkshave proliferated since that time, in a variety of forms. However, theystill generally follow the models of the past—presenting either a mererandom collection of attractions, or a collection of attractions thatmay each relate to a theme by themselves, but are not thematicallyintegrated or connected to each other and to the park as a whole.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] It would therefore be desirable to have an entertainment parkwherein all of the attractions are thematically connected to each other.

[0010] It would also be desirable to have an entertainment park whereinpark visitors can actually get involved in and act-out parts of thetheme of the park.

[0011] The invention advantageously provides an entertainment park,having a plurality of sectors of activity, with at least one attractionin each sector of activity. Each of the attractions incorporate thematicelements representing an aspect of a single story, allowing parkvisitors to act-out or participate in a portion of the storyline.

[0012] In accordance with a more detailed aspect of the presentinvention, the attractions are based upon an adversarial theme of goodvs. evil, which is played out by park visitors in a realistic setting.

[0013] In accordance with another aspect thereof, the invention providesa method of providing entertainment, including the steps of providing anentertainment park area having a plurality of sectors of activity, withat least one attraction in each sector providing visitor interaction,incorporating into each attraction a thematic element representing anaspect of a single storyline, and causing visitors in the park tointeract with each other in a fantasy setting, as participants in thestoryline.

[0014] Additional features and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the detailed description which follows, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, which together illustrate,by way of example, features of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015]FIG. 1 is a plan view of a story park configured in accordancewith the present invention.

[0016]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of part of the exterior of the WalledTown and its entrance portal.

[0017]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of part of the town inside the Wall,and the Town Hall.

[0018]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the Royal Castle, just outside theWalled Town.

[0019]FIG. 5 is a perspective view from above of the Terrible Twisterattraction in the Peaceful Countryside.

[0020]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the Dragon's Lair.

[0021]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a running battle between a pirateship and a “treasure ship” in the channel next to Skull Island.

[0022]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of Silly Slide Hill and the KiddieKars, in Wee World.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodimentsillustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used hereinto describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that nolimitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended.Alterations and further modifications of the inventive featuresillustrated herein, and additional applications of the principles of theinventions as illustrated herein, which would occur to one skilled inthe relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to beconsidered within the scope of the invention.

[0024] The present invention presents a novel type of entertainmentpark, which can be termed a “story park.” As used herein, the term“entertainment park” is intended to refer generally to all kinds ofentertainment locations, including theme parks and amusement parks, aswell as zoos, water parks, historical parks, etc. All of these can betermed entertainment parks. As noted above, “amusement parks”, typicallypresent a random collection of attractions without any real theme orconnection between them. Coney Island is a good example of a classicamusement park. In “theme parks,” on the other hand, sections of thepark may be themed, but the different sections have no necessarythematic connection or relationship with the others. Disneyland is agood example of a theme park, including a number of different “lands,”such as “Fantasyland,” “Tomorrowland,” “Frontierland,” etc. Each “land”includes attractions that relate to a general theme, but the different“lands” are not thematically connected to each other.

[0025] The present invention provides a “story park,” in which theattractions, restaurants, shops, etc. are all themed according to theevents, locations and characters that appear in a single story. Oneembodiment of the story park 10 is depicted in FIG. 1, and is calledCastleRealm™. The park is a real place, but has all the characteristicsof an imaginary place, which is part of a two-part story created by theinventor.

[0026] In CastleReal™ 10, all of the various areas or sectors ofactivity are connected to each other by the characters, places andevents of Part I of the two-part story. The major sectors of activityinclude the Walled Town 12, the Royal Castle 14, the PeacefulCountryside 16, Narwood Forest 18, Zangara 20, Corsair Cove 22, Morgar24, the Iron Fortress 26, Troll Town 28 and Wee World 30. All of thevarious areas of the park relate to each other and are connected by theevents of the story. The park thus becomes an integrated experience,rather than a series of separate experiences.

[0027] The park is intended to be experienced as a “real place,” withregions where the “good guys” live, regions where the “bad guys” live,and neutral or buffer zones in between. Viewing FIG. 1, the Walled Town12, the Peaceful Countryside 16 and Wee World 30, are all parts of the“good guys” region, protected by the Royal Castle 14. Corsair Cove 22,Troll Town 28, Morgar 24 and the Stockade 176, are all located in the“bad guy” region, dominated by the Iron Fortress 26. Narwood Forest 18,Zangara 20 and Taladar's Isle 58, are buffer or transition zones thatseparate these two general regions.

[0028] The two-part story that provides the thematic basis for thisstory park is entitled “The Atalan Saga.” Part I of “The Atalan Saga” isentitled “Crown of Iron,” is the foundation on which CastleRealm™ isdesigned. Part II of the story is entitled “Heart of Ice” and is thebasis for a futuristic expansion area (not shown). A summary of the“Crown of Iron” story is provided below.

Crown of Iron

[0029] Once upon a time, there lived a dashing young pirate named TaranMacMar. He lived and raided from a remote area of the seacoast, whichcame to be known as Corsair Cove. This was a part of the Kingdom ofAtalan, ruled by cruel King Harold, but Taran was not bothered so longas he raided foreign ships and ports and sent one-third to the king.

[0030] Taran cared only about himself. He knew his men would be loyal aslong as he led them on successful raids. He and the king understood eachother. He needed no one and was better off alone.

[0031] Then, one day, he captured a trading vessel that had as one ofits passengers a beautiful princess named Alana. The fight had beenshort, but brutal and bloody, and Alana was shocked by Taran's ruthlessferocity. She resented being his prisoner but there was something abouthim that intrigued her.

[0032] Back at his stronghold in Corsair Cove, Taran learned that theprincess was traveling to King Harold's Court, where they were to bemarried and she would be his queen. She didn't love Harold; in fact, shehad never met him, but their union was important to her father'sneighboring kingdom of Tamoor, and she would do her duty.

[0033] When King Harold heard what had happened, he flew into a violentrage. He wanted the princess back and he wanted Taran's head. Postersannouncing a huge reward were put up throughout the kingdom of Atalan,and Harold's men went on the alert.

[0034] The reward came to the attention of one of Taran's men namedTook. Took was like his leader in that he only cared about himself. Healways wanted more and saw this as his chance. So he arranged to meetwith one of Harold's men in a back room of the Three Oaks Tavern, whereTook agreed to lead Harold's troops to Taran's hideout for the reward.

[0035] Harold's men strike at midnight, and outnumber Taran's by five toone. It is a complete rout. In the confusion, Princess Alana isreleased, all of Taran's men are killed or captured, and Taran is forcedto run for his life. He finally takes refuge in the basement of an OldMill. The mill has been abandoned for several years. The basement isdirty and damp and there is nothing to eat. Exhausted, he falls into adeep sleep in which he dreams about Alana.

[0036] Back at the royal castle, Took is presented to King Harold, whois told that Took was one of Taran's men. If there's one thing Haroldcannot stand, it's a traitor, so he refuses to pay the reward and hasTook thrown into his dungeon. Besides, Harold grumbles, Taran escaped.

[0037] The hunt continues and Taran is forced to stay where he is. Hehas water but no food and things are becoming desperate when he issurprised by a visitor. The short, stocky warrior calls himselfShortsword and he has been sent by Taran's Uncle Simon to take Taranhome. The two men travel by night and eventually reach Taladar's Isle,where Taran's uncle, Simon Taladar, lives in Taladar's Tower.

[0038] After a hearty meal and a good night's sleep, Taran is taken intohis uncle's library, where Simon tells his nephew why he was broughtthere. Harold has ruined the kingdom. He's a ruthless, selfish tyrantwho is lining his own pockets with the people's money. His marriage toAlana will only make him stronger, for he then will have a powerfulally—Tamoor—to call upon. It is up to Taran to stop him.

[0039] But this is insane! Taran is only one man and a hated pirate atthat! Simon, however, has a plan. By long tradition, those who wouldrule Atalan had to first take the Test of the Crown of Iron. If theywore it and survived, they were fit to rule. If they were not, theydied. About a century before the present time, this test was judged tobe “inconvenient” and the crown was sealed in the Chamber of the Crown,a subterranean cavern beneath the Iron Fortress. There the Crown of Ironremains. But, if Taran can go there and bring it back, he could forceKing Harold to either take the Test or abdicate.

[0040] Taran thinks this is crazy and refuses to even consider hisuncle's wild scheme, but then he remembers Alana and decides to go. Thatnight, Taran and Shortsword set out for the Walled Town, where they willget the supplies and weapons they need. As they leave the last shop,their attention is drawn to the torch-lit town square, where a noisy mobhas gathered. It seems a young gypsy boy has been caught stealing food,and he's about to be publicly flogged for his crime. The boy remindsTaran of himself when he was younger, and Shortsword wants to intervene,but Taran hesitates, for he can't bring attention to himself.

[0041] Shortsword wants to test Taran, and keeps after him until heagrees to do it. It takes a while for both of them to make their wayaround the crowd to the platform where the boy is tied, and one lash ofthe whip has already streaked his back when Taran springs into action.After seeing the first blow, Taran goes nearly berserk and before theyknow it, both of Harold's thugs have been flung into the mob and the boyis free. When a third guard tries to interfere, Taran stops him with hissword and the crowd goes wild.

[0042] King Harold is with Princess Alana in the royal box. He can'tbelieve what is happening, as the boy leads Taran and Shortsword intoone of the side streets and the mob closes behind them. And Alana can'thelp but wonder if this isn't the same man who captured her.

[0043] A few hours later, the gypsy boy, whose name is Alphonso, leadsTaran and Shortsword into the gypsy wagon camp where he lives. The campis at the edge of Narwood Forest, but off the main road. As the threeenter, a young dark-haired beauty approaches. She is Nina Zeralda, theleader of this band of gypsies. Nina finds Taran attractive and when shehears his story, she agrees to lead him and Shortsword to the IronFortress, for she is ambitious and wants to be the queen of more than awandering band.

[0044] Along the way, Nina tries every trick she knows to get Taran tofall in love with her and is puzzled when none of it works. But Tarancan only think of Alana and it's his thoughts of her that keep himgoing.

[0045] Eventually, they reach the Iron Fortress and the complete evil ofthe place stops Taran cold. He knows somehow that “Who He Is Now” willcertainly die if he goes into that awful place. Shortsword nags him andNina pleads. He can't stop now, but nothing works until Taran sees thedisappointment in Alphonso's eyes. That is too much and Taran decides tocontinue.

[0046] Once inside, the Great Hall of the fortress seems to be deserted.The dim blue light within deepens as the light from outside fades. Thewalkway Taran is on beings to spiral downward. As he goes, titteringshapes and grotesque shadows begin to flit among the giant stone columnsthat support a roof hidden in the darkness above. Farther and fartherdown he goes.

[0047] As he proceeds, he begins to hear faint laughter. It seems to bemildly hysterical and grows louder as he descends. Then, on either side,he sees the huddled shapes of men, women and children, all gray, allchained, all cowering in fear.

[0048] Taran finally reaches the bottom of the ramp. He is now in thevery depths of the cavern beneath the fortress. Dozens of the chainedprisoners can now be seen. The laughter is much louder now and whenTaran steps around the last great column, he sees its source.

[0049] There before him stands an eight foot giant. Its skin is a scaly,shiny blue. Its head is finely formed, with two long black horns thatcurve forward and red eyes that gleam with intelligence. Its upper bodyis very muscular, while its lower limbs are lost in a vague, blue mist.In its right hand it holds a long black whip, with which it occasionallylashes out at its huddled prisoners. It is the Laughing Jailer and, asits hysterical laughter builds, it looks directly at Taran.

[0050] The Jailer mocks Taran. How can he ever think of himself asanything but worthless? Does he dare believe that his life could ever beworthwhile? Greatness? The hysterical laughter increases. And as for theprincess? It is too much for the giant and he has to hold his sides.Tears come to his eyes and roll down his cheeks as he is convulsed withthe very thought of it.

[0051] Taran's anger has been slowly building and suddenly somethingsnaps inside him. With a great sweep of his sword, he strikes thegiant's head from its shoulders. The laughter stops as the head rolls toa stop in the dust. Then, the great body begins to fade away and there,behind it, stands an image of his long-dead father. Older now and frail,his father tells Taran that he “expects great things of him.” Then theimage fades away.

[0052] Suddenly, off to Taran's right, a golden light grows inintensity. There, on its stone pedestal, rests the Crown of Iron! Takingit, he ties it to his belt and begins to strike the chains from theprisoners that surround him.

[0053] As he proceeds, a hellish howling begins to come from one of theside caves. Hurrying now, he continues to free prisoners until a howlinghorde of demons begins to pour from the opening. Goblins and trolls,with demons unnamed among them. He shall not have the Crown!

[0054] Taran seems to be everywhere, freeing prisoners, whom he herds upthe ramp, then back among his pursuers, hacking and slashing withabandon. Somehow, they make it and pour out of the fortress, into thesunshine.

[0055] Nina, Shortsword and Alphonso watch in amazement as Taran and hisstrange horde pour out of the entrance to the fortress. Nina isparticularly interested, for Taran has changed. He is older now, moreserious, and carries himself with a sense of noble purpose.

[0056] As this unusual caravan starts back, word of what Taran has donebegins to spread. Men impoverished or broken by Harold come out of thehills with hope once again in their hearts. As it proceeds, this rag-tagarmy continues to grow, and by the time it reaches the Great Meadow thatstretches before the royal castle, Taran's forces outnumber Harold's byat least two to one.

[0057] Taran issues his challenge, that Harold should take the Test ofthe Crown, but Harold is defiant. He holds the castle and his trainedtroops can certainly handle Taran's undisciplined mob.

[0058] That night, Taran is in his tent with Nina, Shortsword and a fewof his captains. They are planning their next move when Princess Alanacomes in. She slipped out of the castle by a secret entrance afterbribing one of Harold's men, and came to see if Taran is indeed the manwho captured her. Alana is impressed with how much he has changed andNina can see there is something special between them.

[0059] Convinced now that she will never be Taran's queen, Nina stealsthe Crown of Iron and sneaks off to make a deal with Harold. In exchangefor the Crown, she will be Harold's queen instead. Harold agrees, forwithout the Crown, Taran has lost his most powerful weapon.

[0060] Taran is now at a loss about what he should do. Then he remembersthe secret entrance that Alana used. If she will lead Taran andShortsword to it, they will enter the castle while his captains lead hisarmy in a frontal assault on the castle.

[0061] Alana agrees to do this, but when the three of them reach theirgoal, she refuses to be left behind. After they are inside the castle,Alana proves that she is not just a pretty face, for several times shegets Taran or Shortsword out of a tight spot and saves Taran's life atleast once.

[0062] At one point, they agree to split up. Taran will search the upperlevels of the castle, Shortsword the lower ones, and Alana will go afterNina.

[0063] Taran finally finds King Harold sitting morosely on his throne.The two begin a swordfight that takes them downward to the dungeon asHarold steadily retreats.

[0064] Shortsword, meanwhile, has come upon the cell where Took has beenheld. After Took convinces Shortsword that he, as one of Taran's men,should be freed, Shortsword finds the keys and lets the man out.

[0065] King Harold is finally cornered by Taran in the dungeon, whenAlana arrives with Nina and the Crown. It seems that Harold will have totake the Test after all. But he knows what will happen if he does andmakes one last desperate break for freedom.

[0066] This fails, too, when he dashes down a darkened corridor only tomeet Took, who takes his revenge by driving a sword through Harold'sbody up to the hilt.

[0067] When Taran, Alana and Shortsword take Nina back to the throneroom, they are surrounded by Taran's victorious captains, who want Taranto take the Test. When he wears the Crown and survives, he is proclaimedking with Alana as his queen.

[0068] There is one last thing to take care of—Nina. Taran's men wanther killed, but he does not want his first act as king to be anexecution. Instead, he sends Nina into exile in Narwood Forest, whereshe will spend the rest of her days, under pain of death.

[0069] The End of Part I

[0070] The elements of this story provide the basis for CastleRealm™. Asstated above, CastleRealm™ 10 presents several primary neighborhoods orsectors of activity, each representing a different aspect or portion(e.g. time, environment, culture, character, event, etc.) of the story“Crown of Iron.” In each sector of activity are attractions whichcorrespond to elements of the story, and are themed to fit into thesetting of the story. The term “attractions” is intended to refer to anyof the wide variety of individual features of the park which visitorsmay view, experience, or interact with, including rides (e.g.roller-coasters, water rides, spinning rides, etc.), to food and giftshops, passive entertainment sites (e.g. theaters and bandstands),dancefloors, exploratory attractions (e.g. a castle which the visitorexplores on his own), and items which may be largely intended just forappearance (e.g. medieval buildings, a town square, etc.). Each sectorof activity includes at least one primary attraction, which incorporatesthematic elements representing an aspect of the story and providingcontinuity to the total entertainment experience.

[0071] Viewing FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the first area of the park 10encountered by visitors is the Walled Town 12, which is located on bothsides of the main entrance 32 and its fortified medieval entrance portal34.

[0072] Viewing FIG. 1, the Walled Town 12 incorporates several of thepark's operational and convenience features, such as the Stroller andLocker Rentals 36 and the First Aid and Baby Care facility 38. TheWalled Town also includes numerous shops 40, a large cafeteria-stylerestaurant 42 and the town square 44. This is the town where Taran livedwith his father and later on saved the gypsy boy from a flogging.

[0073] Just beyond the entrance portal 34 is the Town Hall 46, whichserves as an information center and a collection point for lostchildren. The Town Hall and part of the Walled Town are shown in FIG. 3.

[0074] Beyond the Town Hall 46, there is the Lakeside Carousel 48, whichoverlooks the Enchanted Lake 50. Moving counter-clockwise around thelake, one comes to the Old Mill, where Taran hid in the basement untilhe was found by Shortsword. Beyond that is the Swan Boat attraction 54,where visitors can sail under the Isle Bridge 56 and around Taladar'sIsle 58. The island is the home of Taran's Uncle Simon who lives inTaladar's Tower 60 and puts on magic shows in the Crystal Cavern 62. Atthe far end of the island is Bonfire Point 64, where Simon could warnthe townspeople of an impending raid.

[0075] Moving counter-clockwise from the Walled Town 12, one comes tothe great rock on which the Royal Castle 14 stands, as seen in FIG. 4.This now peaceful edifice is where, long ago, Shortsword and Tarandefeated King Harold after entering by way of the Secret Entrance 15.Below the castle, within the great rock, is the Grand Hall Restaurant66. Across the road from the castle is the Great Meadow 68, where Tarangathered his army before the final assault.

[0076] The royal castle overlooks and protects the Walled Town and thePeaceful Countryside 16, where Taran lived with his grandmother for afew years after his father died. The central attraction in this area isthe Terrible Twister 70, with its spinning cars that resemble frightenedpigs 71, large baskets, 72, flying bathtubs 73 and startled cows 74. Allof these move around the large spinning Tornado 76, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0077] Next to the Terrible Twister is the Pond 78, where visitors cansail miniature radio-controlled pirate ships and trading vessels tore-enact the battle in which Taran captured Princess Alana.

[0078] The Peaceful Countryside also includes the children's PuppetTheater 80, the Harvest Festival Theater 82, and the Hoedown Hayride 84.Visitors may shop at the Country Store 86 or enjoy an old-fashionedfamily supper at Grandma's Kitchen 88.

[0079] Moving on counter-clockwise, one next arrives at an area known asNarwood Forest 18. On the left edge of the forest is the Gypsy Camp 90,where Taran first met Nina Zeralda as a beautiful young woman. NarwoodForest is also the place where Nina lived out her years in exile untilshe became an old woman known as Nezeralda. Nezeralda's Hut 92 is nowthe entrance to a restaurant for children only.

[0080] Just beyond Nezeralda's Hut is the Magic Spell Frogs attraction94, which seems to confirm the local suspicion that the old woman isindeed a witch. A wide pathway 96 is shown cutting through the middle ofNarwood Forest 18. This pathway will lead to a futuristic expansion ofthe park, which is based on Part II of The Atalan Saga, entitled “Heartof Ice.”

[0081] Continuing counter-clockwise, one comes to the mysterious land ofZangara 20, where Taran and his crew often went to search for treasure.The center of Zangara is the Explorer's Village 98, where one can enjoya meal and a Polynesian show at Club Tondelayo 100, shop for nativetrinkets at The Last Outpost 102, climb nets and cross treacheroussuspension bridges on Tree House Island 104, or explore the dimly litmaze inside the Lost Temple 106.

[0082] The main attraction in Zangara, however, is the River of Doom108, where explorers and treasure seekers of all ages can take a boatride into the dim, mysterious past. All sorts of strange but humoroussights will be seen along the way, including the Dragon's Lair 110,where a Mother Dragon 112 is teaching her babies 114 how to fly, asshown in FIG. 6.

[0083] Beyond Zangara lies Corsair Cove 22, which one reaches by passingunder the arch at Lookout Rock 116. In Corsair Cove, anyone may becomeone of Taran's Corsairs 188 by going aboard one of his pirate ships 120and sail on Corsair Lake 122, to a hiding place 124, where the shipwaits for one of the “treasure ships” 126 to come out of the River ofDoom. Then the two ships race side-by-side 128 in a mock battle, asshown in FIG. 7. The pirate ship, however, must break off the chasebecause of cannon fire from Fort Defender 130. On its way back to port,the pirate ship will stop at Skull Island 132, where members of the crewmay get off to explore the Pirate Fort 134, Taran's treasure cave 136,or look out the eyes of the giant hollow skull 138.

[0084] Back in Corsair Cove, one might buy some “pirate booty” at theIII Gotten Goods shop 140, get a temporary tattoo at Peg Leg's TattooParlor 142, have a sandwich and enjoy a slightly “racy” floor show atDirty Dan's Dive 144, or practice one's skill with a rifle at One Eye'sShooting Gallery 146. Then, rather than walk all the way back, the WaterTaxi 148 will take you to the opposite shore.

[0085] Between the Gypsy Camp 90 and Corsair Cove 22, lies a lonely,deserted hill on which stands the Haunted Ruins 150. Below it is thedismal Dungeon 152, where the royal family that preceded King Harold issaid to have mysteriously perished, and which is still haunted by theirghosts.

[0086] Leaving Corsair Cove and continuing counter-clockwise, one comesto the entrance gateway 154 of the dreaded land of Morgar 24. This landis guarded first by the Gray Mountains 156, with their twin watch towers158. In the center of Morgar stands the forbidding Iron Fortress 26,surrounded by its Jagged Rocks 160. The Iron Fortress is where Taranmust descent to the depths and confront the Laughing Jailer to recoverthe Crown of Iron. The fortress is itself surrounded by three groups ofdefenders. The first are the trolls of Troll Town 28, with itshigh-speed Troll Mountain Railroad 162 and two thrill rides 164. InTroll Town, one may enjoy fast food in the Troll Cave 166, buytroll-made jewelry in the Stones and Bones shop 168, or dance to theTroll Band 170.

[0087] The second group of defenders are the goblins of Mount Morga 172,where visitors can explore the watery byways of Goblin Grotto 174 intheir bumper boats. The third group of Iron Fortress defenders are thehuman guards of the Stockade 176, surrounded by its high wooden palisade178 and guard towers 180.

[0088] Within the Stockade are four torturous thrill rides 182 and theDeath Coaster 184, all guaranteed to make anyone tell everything he orshe knows.

[0089] The Stockade Fast Food restaurant 186 shares a common kitchen 188with the Three Oaks Tavern 190. This pleasant sit-down restaurant iswhere the spy who betrayed Taran met secretly with King Harold's man.

[0090] Completing the counter-clockwise journey brings us to Wee World30, created by Taran in his imagination when he was very young. It's adelightful place, especially for young children, where one can believehe or she is suddenly only a few inches tall. Wee World is encircled bythe Here to There Railroad 192, which along its route passes through atunnel in Rock Candy Mountain 194.

[0091] The center piece of Wee World is the Bumblebee Airport 196, whereone can fly around in giant bumblebees. Surrounding the airport are WeeWorld Snacks 198, Silly Slide Hill 200, a little kids' Ladybug Coaster202, where all the cars look like giant ladybugs, and the Kiddie Kars204, where small children “race” down a curving track, as shown in FIG.8. Also shown in FIG. 8 are the various attractions of Silly Slide Hill.These include the Banana Slide 206, the Snake Slide 208, the Shoe Slide210 and the Beanstalk Slide 212. There is also the Smiling Tree 214 withits many swings. Just outside the railroad berm, there is the Ice CreamParlor 216 with its large patio.

[0092] The park 10 naturally includes additional features for itsoperation. These include the Souvenir Stand 218 outside the MainEntrance on the left and the building on the right that houses theSecurity, Cash Control and Guest Services offices 220 and the PartyRooms 222, which can be rented for special events. Various access roads224 allow park personnel to service the shops and restaurants withoutintruding on the visitor's experience.

[0093] As noted earlier, the pathway 96 leads to a futuristic expansionarea (not shown) that is based on Part II of The Atalan Saga. In PartII, which is called “Heart of Ice,” Nezeralda is now 80 years old andshe redeems herself with the help of a futuristic warrior named ReefO'Donnell and two little bushy forest guards named Eeliwon and Eelitoo.The futuristic setting allows for a variety of very differentactivities, including attractions such as a space academy, a rocket shipride, a ride-through laser tag battle with aliens, etc.

[0094] The ride-through laser tag attraction may be a ride where theparticipants ride a vehicle through an active battle scene and shoot attargets that are shooting back at them. In any event, the ride wouldre-enact a battle from Part II of the story.

[0095] One aspect of the CastleRealm_(SM) concept is the theme of goodvs. evil, which is played out throughout the park. The visitors maychoose to be merely observers or they can take an active part inre-creating certain parts of the story.

[0096] The park is roughly divided into the front part, where the goodguys live, and the back part, where the bad guys rule. For example,Morgar 24, with its Iron Fortress 26, Troll Town 28 and Stockade 176,all represent the forces of evil, while the Royal Castle 14, Walled Town12 and the Peaceful Countryside 16, represent the forces of good.Taran's uncle, Simon Taladar, in his home on Taladar's Isle 58,represents Wisdom, a balancing factor between the two.

[0097] This division allows park visitors to choose which side they wantto be on, and act out that part as they visit their desired attractions.In one embodiment of the invention, as visitors enter the park, they areasked to choose which side they want to be on, and are then given apiece of clothing, a hat, a dagger or sword, or some other item thatmakes their chosen side readily identifiable as they participate in parkattractions. Visitors can freely switch sides whenever they desire.

[0098] The invention thus presents an entertainment park having two mainelements: the structure of the park (i.e. the physical features andattractions), and the activities which occur at these physical locations(i.e. the places, events, etc. from the story). The visitor provides akey component of the invention by linking the structure with theactivity. The visitor, in acting-out the story, provides the ongoingcontinuity between the locations in the park and the story. This is onefeature of the present invention which distinguishes it from otherparks, and which helps make the “story park” unique.

[0099] An example of the way in which the invention may work is asfollows. Upon entering the park and selecting their characteraffiliation (good guy or bad guy) the visitor first enters Walled Town,where they become part of the crowd in the town square. There thevisitor may purchase food or other items at shops in the town square,and perhaps watch a juggler or other street entertainer. The visitor mayalso take part in a “rescue” of the gypsy boy through participation in acarnival-type game where a gypsy doll is the prize, or watch such arescue acted out by park employees in character.

[0100] Moving to the Royal Park, the visitor may enjoy the RoyalCarousel, or some of the attractions in Wee World, while watching theirchildren play as Taran did as a child. The visitor may then proceed tothe Royal Castle on Castle Isle, and explore the castle, acting the partof Taran defeating Harold and taking his place on the throne. Or, thevisitor may act the part of Harold or the Spy while exploring theBaron's Keep and its dungeon.

[0101] Moving to the Peaceful Countryside, the visitor can take part inthe festivities at the Harvest Festival Theater or ride on the TerribleTwister ride, acting the part of Taran as a boy. Moving into NarwoodForest, the visitor can play the part of Taran meeting the gypsies intheir camp, or take the role of the young and beautiful Nina Zeraldaexploring the forest.

[0102] The visitor may then move on to the land of Morgar, and enter theCavern of the Crown in Mount Morga searching for the Crown of Iron. Thevisitor may also visit the Iron Fortress, where he can prove himselfwith tests of skill. Before moving on, the visitor may experience thethrill rides in the Torture Zone, imagining that he is a prisoner in theIron Fortress and being tortured on various diabolical tortureapparatus. As noted, the Iron Fortress and Torture Zone relate to PartII of the story.

[0103] Moving to Corsair Cove, the visitor may take the role of Taran asa fierce pirate, and take to seas in Taran's Corsairs, lying in wait toattack a passing trading vessel. Following the sea battle, the visitormay change roles to that of Taran and his crew sailing down the River ofDoom, in search of treasure at the Lost Temple. These are just a fewexamples of the many ways in which a visitor may participate inactivities drawn from the story “Crown of Iron” and thus bridge thestory and the physical features of the park as a participant in thestory.

[0104] It will be apparent that the attractions need not be visited inany particular order, and that the visitor may change roles or “sides”whenever they choose. Additionally, the park may also be structured suchthat, rather than merely choosing to be a “good guy” or “bad guy,” thevisitor chooses to be a particular character from the story, and isgiven some corresponding costume or other identifying item to wear orhold. The visitor may then enjoy the park attractions while acting inone particular role. It will be apparent that other variations arepossible.

[0105] It is to be understood that the above-referenced arrangements areillustrative of the application for the principles of the presentinvention. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements can bedevised without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentinvention while the present invention has been shown in the drawings anddescribed above in connection with the exemplary embodiments(s) of theinvention. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the artthat numerous modifications can be made without departing from theprinciples and concepts of the invention as set forth in the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An entertainment park comprising a plurality of sectors of entertainment activity, with at least one guest attraction in each sector of activity incorporating a thematic element representing an aspect of a single storyline having continuity throughout the entertainment park.
 2. An entertainment park in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one guest attraction includes park visitors as participants in a fantasy setting depicting a portion of the single storyline.
 3. An entertainment park in accordance with claim 2, wherein the fantasy setting further comprises a scripted portion which includes participation of one group of park visitors juxtaposed with another group of park visitors in a mock adversarial posture, in acting-out the scripted portion of the single storyline.
 4. An entertainment park in accordance with claim 1, wherein the storyline represents a fictional story.
 5. An entertainment park in accordance with claim 4, wherein the storyline is from the genre of medieval stories, fantasies, and legends.
 6. An entertainment park in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of sectors of activity include at least one of a medieval town, peaceful countryside, a forest, a pirate ship adventure, a medieval castle, a dragon's lair, an ancient temple, and a bandit's bazaar.
 7. An entertainment park in accordance with claim 6, wherein the pirate ship adventure features a pirate ship and a non-pirate ship, traveling in opposing waterways, wherein visitors in the pirate ship lie-in-wait for a theatrical mock attack on the non-pirate ship carrying other visitors.
 8. An entertainment park in accordance with claim 1, wherein the attractions include at least one of: a. a children's playground, featuring play apparatus configured as jumbo size natural objects to give the illusion that the children are very small; and b. a tornado-themed ride in which ride cars rise and spin around a central core, the central core having the appearance of a tornado, and the ride cars having the appearance of unusual objects which might be thrown about by a tornado.
 9. An entertainment park, having a plurality of sectors of activity, with at least one attraction in each sector of activity, incorporating thematic elements representing an aspect of a single storyline, the at least one attraction configured to engage park visitors as participants in a fantasy setting, and wherein the attractions are based upon an adversarial theme of good vs. evil, which is played out by park visitors in a realistic setting.
 10. An entertainment park in accordance with claim 9, further comprising a scripted portion providing an option for park visitors to choose to be on the side of good or evil, and participate in events which juxtapose them against other visitors in acting out the park theme.
 11. A method of providing entertainment, comprising the steps of: a. providing an entertainment park area having a plurality of sectors of activity, each sector including at least one attraction providing visitor interaction; b. incorporating into each attraction a thematic element of a park theme, the thematic element representing an aspect of a single storyline extending in continuity throughout the entertainment park area; and c. suggesting the activity of visitors in each sector, to thereby cause visitors in the park to interact with each other in a fantasy setting, as participants in the storyline.
 12. A method in accordance with claim 11, wherein at least some of the attractions present an adversarial theme of good vs. evil, with park visitors juxtaposed against each other in acting out the park theme.
 13. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein a majority of the attractions are based upon an adversarial theme of good vs. evil, and park visitors choose to be good or evil, and participate in events which juxtapose them against other visitors in acting out the park theme.
 14. A method in accordance with claim 11, further comprising the step of scripting visitors to interact with each other as participants in the storyline.
 15. A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the step of scripting visitors to interact with each other includes placing visitors in a pirate ship or a non-pirate ship on a common waterway, and causing the visitors in the pirate ship to initiate a theatrical mock attack on the visitors in the non-pirate ship.
 16. A method of entertaining visitors in an entertainment park formed by a plurality of sectors of activity, each sector including a primary attraction, comprising the steps of: a. incorporating into each primary attraction a thematic element representing an aspect of a single fantasy storyline common to each sector of the entertainment park; and b. allowing visitors in the park to interact with each other in connection with the primary attractions as participants in the fantasy storyline.
 17. A method in accordance with claim 16, further comprising the step of incorporating into each primary attraction an adversarial theme of good vs. evil.
 18. A method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the interaction of visitors in the park is scripted.
 19. A method in accordance with claim 18, wherein the scripting further comprises the steps of: a. allowing park visitors choose to be part of the good theme or part of the evil theme; and b. causing the visitors to participate in events which juxtapose them against other visitors in acting out the park theme. 